


At the end of the tunnel

by WallMixer



Category: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-10-10 22:16:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17434517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WallMixer/pseuds/WallMixer





	At the end of the tunnel

>I nuzzle Moonglow through the bars  
>These stupid fucking bars  
>For once I would like to touch Moonglow without the bars being in the way  
>Just once, before we die  
>Sighing I do my best to sleep  
>The next two days’ pass by  
>No food or water had been provided for the trip, the dehydration was taking its toll  
>The poorly ventilated trailer was now choking with the smell of piss and shit  
>Moonglow and I hadn’t bothered to move for the past day  
>We wanted to spend as much time cuddling as we could  
>Nothing else mattered at this point  
>Suddenly my ear twitches at distant sound  
>Moonglow picks his head up and listens for it  
>It sounds like sirens, coming this way  
>I’m consciously optimistic at the prospect of being rescued  
>After a few moments I can make out the sound of several vehicles coming towards us  
>Some ponies begin to neigh loudly in hopes of attracting attention  
>I stand up as the vehicles skid to a stop next to us  
>There is a commotion outside, then someone takes a bolt cutter to the door lock  
>The back of the semi swings open, revealing a group of first responders  
>A man steps up and opens Moonglows cage  
>He checks his vitals and then hands him off  
>”This ones good to go”  
>He repeats the procedure with me and I am carried to a van  
>To my relief Moonglow is wrapped in a trauma blanket waiting for me there  
>They wrap me in a similar blanket and put me next to him  
>We promptly ditch the blankets and proceed to cuddle each other  
>I stick my head under his and nuzzle his chin  
>After a moment he brings his head around and prods me in the side of the neck  
>As we are doing this Nick and Kyle are brought into the van along with several other ponies  
>Once the van is full they close the back and begin to drive off  
>Moonglow and I settle down for the ride and snuggle up next to each other  
>He rests his head on my neck and a wrap my wing around him  
>It doesn’t take long for us to fall asleep   
>Between Moonglow to my side and the blankets underneath me the ride has to be the best sleep I’ve had in my life  
>The sound of the door opening wakes me up  
>”Alright we’re here, everybody out”  
>A young man stands at the door smiling  
>We all stand and warily file out of the van  
>I make sure to stay close behind Moonglow as we disembark  
>About half a dozen ponies gather into a tight group inside a large barn  
>It feels good to finally be able to stretch my legs  
>Several other humans gather around us  
>They are all smiling and dressed in work coveralls  
>The Man who let us out of the van closes the door behind us  
>He walks up and kneels down in front of us  
>”Hey there, can you understand me?”  
>We all nod slowly  
>”That’s good, I want you all to know that your safe now. No one here is going to hurt you”  
>He singles me out  
>”Do you have a name?”  
>I tilt my head and flick my tattooed ear  
>He slowly reaches for it and reads it  
>”Lightning, is that your name?”  
>I nod  
>I know it’s not my real name, but it’s the only one I can remember  
>They go through and check everyone’s ears  
>Because Kyle and Nick never got tattoos they had some trouble with names  
>After some back and forth they settled on Morning Glory for Kyle, because of his coloration and bright attitude  
>Nick got stuck with Straightedge on account of his brooding demeanor  
>The Black and red pony stared daggers at the one who suggested it  
>He received zero sympathy from his fellow ponies  
>After all he put us through a little humiliation would be getting off easy  
>Once that’s settled we’re lead into a side room where we are bathed  
>They use warm water and actually scrub us, a welcome change from the cold pressure wash we were accustom to  
>After I’m nice and clean they dry me off with the softest towel I have ever felt  
>They take a moment to groom me and then take out a camera  
>”Ok Lightning, Let’s have a big smile”  
>I happily oblige  
>The camera shutters, and the photographer looks pleased  
>They direct me over to where the other ponies are waiting after their bath  
>Only Moonglow and Morning Glory have finished before me and I situate myself next to them  
>Moonglow and I promptly begin cuddling as we wait  
>After a few Moments Morning Glory make an inquisitive nicker  
>We appraise him for a moment and then nod and nicker an invitation to him  
>He promptly joins in the exchange of affection  
>More ponies show up, some join us while others form their own cuddle piles  
>Straightedge arrives and promptly stands in the corner by himself  
>We continue to watch as more ponies arrive on vans, and then subsequently bathed and photographed  
>Eventually it gets to the point where most of the ponies from the lab are now here, clean and happy.  
>A woman in her early thirties walks out in front of us  
>She has red hair and is dressed in a teal suit and skirt  
>She smiles at us  
“Good evening everyone, if I may have your attention”  
>We quit down  
“I am Teresa Miller, just think of me like your camp counselor, I am here to make sure that your stay here is safe and happy”  
>She claps her hands together  
“Your all probably wondering where ‘here’ is, ‘here’ is MorningSky ranch in the lovely state of Colorado. It is owned by the University of Colorado, and we are currently working with the Federal Government. We know you have all been through a lot, rest assured that we are going to do everything we can to help you get your lives back together again. We are of course working on finding a way to reverse what was done to you, that’s all happening off site and you will not have to see another lab ever again. What we are going to do here is reestablish contact with your friends and family. We know many of you have been abused and we have a team of therapist ready to assist you with that. Again I want you to think of my like your camp counselor, if you have any issues feel free to come to me. And now I’m going to turn it over to my right hand man Stan for room assignments”  
>The man from earlier steps forward  
>”Alright you all, as Teresa just said I’m Stan. I’m in charge of keeping everything running smoothly. We’re going to do room assignments, Your all going to be four to a room so if you could all form groups of four we can get started”  
>For the most part groups of four was a matter of breaking groups up rather than forming them  
>Straightedge was universally shunned and ended up joining Me, Moonglow, and Morning Glory  
>Once everyone was settled Stan walked down pointing to each group and stating a number, we were number eight  
>”Alright you all have your numbers, please head to the stall with your number on it. There will be food and water available in the stall, and unless there is anything else I will see you all tomorrow morning”  
>We all head back out and quickly find our stall  
>It’s got a spring loaded door with a rope hanging on it  
>Morning Glory pulls it open with the rope and lets the rest of us file in  
>Straightedge promptly lays in the corner to sulk  
>Moonglow and I help ourselves to the water and fresh fruit they left for us  
>Morning Glory takes his share before heading off to sit behind Straightedge  
>Moonglow and I settle down for the night on a mattress in the far side of the room  
>I spread my wings over us as we snuggle up  
>Together we fall into a peaceful sleep  
>A light knock wakes us up  
>I look up and see Stan leaning over the low stall door  
>He speaks softly, but clearly  
“Hey guys, we’re going to have a quick orientation meeting on in the main room. It’s going to be in fifteen minutes, if you could all be there that would be great”  
>He grins and gives a thumbs up  
“Can you do that for me?”  
>Moonglow and I nod at him  
“All right, it won’t take too long, just a quick rundown of how things are going to work. I’ll see you there”  
>He walks off  
>A second latter I can hear him repeating the same exchange with the stall next to us  
>Moonglow pulls me into his chest and rests his head over my neck  
>He shoots me a sly grin  
>I smile back at him and settle down on the bed with him  
>They provided each of us with actual an actual mattress to sleep on  
>The stall was massive compared to the cramped confines of the kennels  
>As the sun rose I could see its warm glow creeping into the barn, and I could hear the chirping of birds  
>By far the best part of this arrangement was the absence of the steel barricade that had kept us apart for so long  
>Finally, I could touch his soft, warm fur without the cold, hard wire getting in the way  
>I don’t want to get up  
>Between Moonglow’s warm embrace and slow, steady breathing, I am quickly drawn back to the edge of sleep  
>Half-conscious I watch Morning Glory try to rouse Straightedge out of her brooding mood  
>After several minutes she suddenly turns on the yellow unicorn and glares at him  
>Morning Glory gives her a sympathetic smile  
>Straightedge is taken aback by this  
>She inclines her ears back slightly and looks down at Morning Glory’s hooves  
>He gestures to the door and she begins to walk towards it  
>She stops once she gets there and waits for him to follow  
>Moonglow begins to stir behind me  
>I let out a sigh and role onto my hooves  
>With a deep breath I spread my wings and give them a stretch  
>This was the first time I have been able to fully extend both my wings at the same time, it feels absolutely amazing  
>I give the rest of my body a good stretch and turn to see Moonglow doing the same  
>We take a quick mouthful of water before heading out into the main room  
>The other ponies shoot dirty looks at Straightedge as she came out of her stall  
>She sat apart from the group as we waited for Stan to begin his announcement   
>He counts quietly to himself and then claps his hands together  
“All right, it looks like we’re all up. I hope you all slept well. Just a couple of thing to go over and then I’ll turn you loose. First off, the barn is going to be open at seven each morning, at eight in the evening we have roll call and then we close the barn for the night. Please be on time for roll call, we will play a reminder fifteen minutes before to give you time to get back.”  
>He looks off to the side  
“Play it for them will you?”  
>A three tone chime plays from a loud speaker out side  
“Yeah that’s what it sounds like, when you hear it just make your way back here so we can make sure your safe for the night”  
>He claps his hands again  
“So as far as what you can do here, we’ve got two hundred acres of land here, there’s a little grove off on one side, we have a small pond for you to swim in, we have this box full of random types of balls, it’s going to be great. We also have some art supplies available. We weren’t really sure what all you would be interested in so if there’s something else you would like to do let us know. Uh, I know you can’t talk but I’m pretty good at charades, maybe a game of twenty questions, we’ll work something out.”  
>He nods to the room full of blank stares  
“Wow you’re a tough crowd, food and water will be provided in your stalls. Keep in mind that your sharing with your four roommates and make sure you leave some for them. Which brings us to the rules”  
>He holds up a finger as he pulls out a list  
“Most of this is pretty standard stuff, you should know this if you passed kindergarten. Who here failed kindergarten?”  
>No one raised their hoof  
“Alright, good to know I’m the only one. We ask that you don’t leave the barn after we close it, and that you stay on the property unless instructed otherwise. Follow the directions of the staff, if we say you need to do something is for your safety. Uh, that’s all the important ones, we have these on a poster over on the notice board.”  
>He points to a cork board with a RULES sheet on it  
“Check the notice board for news. Again if you need anything come to me or Teresa, we will try to be as accommodating as we can. Over the next few weeks we’re going to have some professionals come by to help with the trauma, we’re also going to start working on contacting your families, we will pull you aside for that.”  
>He claps his hands together one last time  
“Unless any of you have any questions…”  
>We all remain silent  
“…You can go”  
>He light heartedly shoos us away  
“Go, be free within the confines of this government property”  
>Moonglow gives me an enthusiastic look and darts for the exit  
>I chase him out the door  
>We don’t make it too far before we both run out of stamina  
>The months spent locked in a cage have left us out of shape  
>Stopping to catch my breath I decide to lay down for a moment  
>The soft grass beneath me was a surprisingly pleasing sensation   
>I took a deep breath of fresh air and spread out my wings to sun myself  
>Moonglow laid down in front of me and sniffed the grass  
>After a moments contemplation he took a nip at it  
>He chewed thoughtfully for a moment and then gave me a look of approval before taking another mouthful  
>As I began to graze with him Straightedge and Morning Glory came up behind us  
>Morning Glory seemed to be taking his predicament rather well, while Straightedge seemed rather morose  
>He lay down beside us while she stood some distance away  
>Moonglow and I nickered a greeting to him inviting him to join us  
>We proceeded to mill about, idly grazing and swapping the occasional nuzzle or nudge  
>After a while an Orange unicorn with two other mares comes up to us  
>I recognize her, she was next to the green mare  
>I shudder at the memory of what became of her  
>The mare gives me a sad inquisitive look  
>I nod, confirming her suspicions  
>She gives me a look of apprehension before turning to Straightedge  
>With her head held high and teeth bared she marched over to Straightedge  
>Straightedge bared her teeth in turn and stood head held low with her ears back  
>As the mare approached Straightedge took a few steps back  
>She tried to make a quick lunge at the unicorn, but was intercepted  
>The mare bites the scruff of her neck, pulling her face to the ground  
>After a few seconds Straightedge lays down  
>The mare releases her  
>With a satisfied snort the mare turns away from her, pleased with the display of submission  
>She rejoins our group with her entourage, a white Pegasus with a light pink mane and a cream colored mare with a hazel mane  
>She looks at me and flicks her right ear  
>I turn my head and orient my ear so that she can read my tattoo  
>Nodding appreciatively she lets me read hers  
>Sunrise 0006  
>It looks like She was in the lab for a long time, possibly one of the first ones they abducted  
>I nod and receive a quick nuzzle from her before she moves on to Moonglow  
>Moonglow and Morning Glory both flash their ears without prompting, Sunrise seems pleased by this and flashes her ear in return  
>The other two mares follow behind her, showing their ears  
>The white Pegasus is Pearl and the cream pony is Hazelnut  
>After the introductions are finished Sunrise gestures for us to follow her  
>The Pearl and Hazelnut follow close behind her, Moonglow and I are behind them with Morning Glory taking up the rear  
>After a short distance Sunrise stops and turns  
>She looks at where Straightedge is laying and then to Morning Gory  
>She flicks her head  
>It takes a moment for Morning Gory to understand but finally he turns and goes back for Straightedge  
>Once Straightedge joins the group behind me Sunrise resumes leading the herd   
>We leisurely trot along, enjoying the fresh air and open sky  
>Sunrises seems to be leading us to the grove Stan mentioned  
>It was a good size maybe a little over ten acers, and situated to the back of the property  
>Despite the relaxed pace of our journey my breathing had become labored by the time we reached the tree line  
>I glanced around and found that the only ones not having difficulty where Morning Glory and Straightedge  
>Sunrise found an acceptable spot in the shade and stopped  
>fatigued from the journey I being lowering myself to the ground  
>I stop half way down and look at Sunrise, she gives me a nod of approval and I drop unceremoniously on my belly  
>Moonglow lays down beside me and gives me a nuzzle  
>Pearl sits across from us and preens her fathers while Hazel sits next to her  
>Morning Glory stood next to Sunrise  
>Sunrise nickered at him and he responded in kind  
>She nuzzled him and then turned to Moonglow  
>She lowered her head and repeated the proses  
>Moonglow moved to stand up but she promptly nudged him back down  
>When it came to me she snorts softly and smiles  
>I keep my head on the ground and look up at her  
>My submission seems to please her and she begins to nuzzle the back of my head  
>After a moment she turns away and heads towards Straightedge  
>Straightedge lowers herself to the ground and pulls her ears back  
>Sunrise nickers at her and awaits a response  
>Hesitantly Straightedge gives an uncertain nicker  
>Sunrise leans in and nuzzles her for a second  
>She then flicks her head up  
>Keeping her head low, Straightedge slowly rises to her feet  
>Sunrise swings her head from Straightedge to Pearl and snorts gruffly  
>Straightedge moves over to Pearl and nickers an apology  
>Pearl promptly nips her snout  
>She hastily backs away and turns to Sunrise  
>Sunrise looks to Hazel and inclines her head  
>She repeats the apology to Hazel, who flicks her ear in exasperation and neighs angrily at her  
>She turns to Moonglow, who coldly shoves her away  
>I am next to receive an apology, I snort and flick my head back to show that I heard her  
>Straightedge tries to move away from the group, but is stopped by Sunrise  
>Sunrise gestures to Morning Glory  
>She moves over to Morning Glory and nickers her apology  
>He nickers back and nuzzles her  
>Satisfied, Sunrise lays down and rests  
>Still tired from the walk, I slip my head under Moonglow’s neck and begin to snooze  
>A violent neigh from Sunrise wakes us  
>I look up to see Straightedge attacking the older mare where she lay  
>Sunrise quickly scrambles up and lands a solid blow with her hind legs  
>The older unicorn uses the energy of her kick to springboard towards the center of the group  
>The rest of us stood and began to converge around the now sprawling black mare  
>Straightedge draws herself up as Sunrise circles around  
>Sunrise neighs angrily and lunges forward at Straightedge  
>Straightedge quickly abdicates her position to Sunrise and moves away from the group  
>Sunrise rears up and bellows angrily at her  
>Red tail tucked clearly between her legs, the offending mare makes a hasty retreat out of the thicket  
>I look at Sunrise to see if she’s been injured  
>She gives a gruff snort, apart from some fresh bruises she’s fine  
>The orange mare flicks her ear in annoyance and begins walking in the opposite direction of Straightedge  
>Fucking Straightedge, I didn’t get to finish my nap  
>Sunrise begins leading us towards the center of the property  
>After moving around for some time she finds a suitable spot and stops  
>She takes a quick nip at the grass and the slowly pans her head around  
>While we are grazing she is carefully surveying our new surroundings  
>After a few moments I become curious and begin to look around as well  
>The spot gives a clear view of the reservation  
>It’s a rolling landscape of tall grass and the occasional tree  
>The large barn where we spent the night is close to the front of the property, it’s an older steel building, clearly retro fitted for its current occupants  
>Next to it is a smaller building, probably an office and possibly sleeping quarters for our new curators  
>A small parking lot sits in front of it with a dozen or so cars and trucks  
>Access to the property is provided by a gate, the rest is surrounded by what appears to be standard farm grade barbed wire  
>The gate looks like we might be able to slip through if we wanted to  
>I turn to Sunrise and nicker a question  
>I flick my head at the gate and look back for a response  
>She looks at the gate and then back to me with a contemplative look  
>After a moment she shakes her head and returns my inquiry  
>I suppose she’s right, it’s not like we have any reason to leave  
>She snorts softly and tilts her head back to the rest of the group  
>With a nod I turn and move next to Moonglow  
>I continue to passively observe the area as I graze  
>Off in the distance I spot a black pony being chased by another herd  
>Mild disappointment plays over my face when the herd begins to slow down, and finally stop  
>Straightedge is very lucky that our legs have atrophied, or she’d probably be dead by now  
>Well, maybe I don’t want to see her dead, but certainly severely injured  
>To my admittedly fragmented knowledge she was not directly responsible for anyone’s death  
>But would it be too much to ask that they provide us with cattle prods? I’m sure we would forgive her after two, maybe three months of continuous zapping  
>Ok maybe four  
>She appears to be actively avoiding other ponies’ now  
>I give a disappointed huff, and look back at the rest of the herd  
>Moonglow is standing next to me, apparently he also wanted to see straightedge get her ass kicked  
>Pearl and Hazel both seem rather reserved to their own company  
>The kept close to each other, often nuzzling or grooming the other  
>Based on the scars Hazel had been in the lab the longest, Pearl had scant few scars I would say she was there no more than a month or two  
>Suddenly Moonglow climbs across my shoulders  
>My knees are unable to support the two of us and I drop face forward  
>With my hindquarters now high in the air Moonglow crawls half way across my back  
>He comes to a rest with his body perpendicular to mine and gently prods my rump with his nose  
>I lower it and role onto my side, facing back towards Moonglow  
>He gives my ear a playful nip and then nuzzles my cheek  
>I lick his nose and smile  
>It was only yesterday that we were starving to death inside a dark metal kennel  
>Now we’re out here, on the warm grass basking in the sun  
>I run my nose along his side  
>He’s coat is rough and worn from the months of incessantly rubbing against the cage  
>Scars from the cattle pod pepper his hide, catalog Nicks abuse  
>My nose passes over the straight clinical scar from his surgery, beneath the skin I feel the smooth hard implant they left in him  
>I shudder at the memory of my own operation, and what they took from me  
>Moonglow senses my dismay and places his snout to the back of my head  
>He calmly blows into my mane, and I take some solace that he was spared that detail of his operation  
>I swing my head back around to meet him face to face  
>The hill that we’re sitting on overlooks the vast openness of the field below  
>It’s just like one of our dreams, but it’s real  
>Moonglow nickers softly  
>I realize tears are seeping down my face  
>He gives me a warm, understanding smile  
>It just like the first time we met  
>He knows exactly how I feel  
>I bury my face in the side of his neck and cry into it  
>He gently nuzzles me, rubbing his nose against the side of my neck  
>I never thought this day would come  
>No more cages and cattle prods   
>No more needles or surgery  
>No more wires keeping us apart  
>It’s finally over  
>Moonglow won’t ever be taken away again  
>We lay there for several moments  
>I want this to last forever  
>Moonglow’s warm body on top of me  
>The rhythmic beating of his pulse  
>He’s slow, calm breathing  
>The steady expansion and contraction of his chest  
>Even the weight of his body on my shoulders was comforting  
>This is all I had wanted for the past six months  
>Just Moonglow and I laying on the grass, not a cage insight  
>Approaching foot falls draw us back to reality  
>We see a human coming straight at us  
>Moonglow quickly stands and lets out a warning neigh  
>He helps me up and we join Pearl and Hazel behind Sunrise  
>We huddle together and wait for Sunrise to give us directions  
>The person draws closer, they’re a young woman dressed in a T-shirt and blue jeans  
>Sunrise stamps a hoof and neighs at them  
>She stops and holds out her hand  
“It’s ok, I’m not going to hurt you”  
>Sunrise snorts suspiciously at her  
>The woman moves forward slowly, arm still out stretched toward Sunrise  
“I’m here for Moonglow and Lightning. It time for them to get checked in”  
>Checked in  
>No  
>Not again  
>Sunrise lets out an angry and defiant neigh  
>She won’t let them hurt us  
>Morning Glory intervenes  
>He nickers quietly to he, reminds her why we’re here  
>After a few moments she calms down enough for the woman to approach  
>She puts a hand on Sunrise’s muzzle  
“We are going to help you, please just trust me”  
>Sunrise stares at her for a moment  
>She turns back to us  
>The orange mare hesitantly draws her head back forward  
>Reluctantly, Moonglow and I follow the young woman off in the direction of the office building  
>As we walk she attempts to make small talk with us  
“So how do you like it here?”  
>I give a quiet nicker  
>I like this place, but I don’t trust them  
“Is that a yes?”  
>I snort and nod  
“That’s good, do you like your new friends?”  
>Is she talking about them or my herd?  
“I noticed that there’s three lovely ladies, any chance of romance?”  
>Moonglow and I remain quiet, it’s none of her business  
>She continues to ask questions of similar caliber until we make it to the office building  
>She pushes the door open and holds it for us  
>We are rather apprehensive about going in  
“Come on, it’s ok. We’re not going to hurt you  
>After a tense moment Moonglow warily steps inside  
>I follow close behind him  
>The door swings shut behind us  
>It gives a click disturbingly similar to the door in the kennel  
>Moonglow and I press against each other, our breathing has become uneasy  
>The woman turns and kneels down  
“Don’t be afraid, it’s just an interview and a little checkup, we need to know all we can so that we can help you”  
>She reaches out with both hands and tries to touch our muzzles  
>We back away, pressing ourselves against the door  
>She quickly withdraws her advance  
“I get it, no touching. But please come with me, we need to find out who you are”  
>After a little more coaxing we followed her down the hall, deeply regretting our decision to come here  
>We are led to a brightly painted room  
“You wait here, I’ll let them know that you’re ready. Make yourself comfortable”  
>At the center of the room was a wooden coffee table, on one side sat an orange sofa, opposite that was an orange chair  
>Moonglow and I sat together on the couch and waited nervously for whoever was coming  
>I began to groom his mane as we waited, the activity proved surprisingly cathartic for both of us  
>After several minutes a man in a lab coat steps in  
>We immediately tense back up and press ourselves against the back of the couch  
“Hey it’s ok, I just want to talk”  
>He reaches into his pocket and pulls something out  
“I got you this, I hope you like chocolate”  
>He slowly steps forward holding out a pair of small candy bars  
>Moonglow gives an uneasy sniff and ponders the gesture  
>After a moment he takes one of the candy bars and begins to chew slowly  
>I follow suit, taking my time to savor the little morsel  
>Kyle had brought us candy, but never chocolate  
>Something about it showing up on the blood tests  
>I swirled the sweet, creamy confection around as it melted in my mouth  
>In a moment the chocolate was gone and I became aware of the hand on the side of my head  
“See, I’m not going to hurt you”  
>He smiled as he rubbed the sides of our heads  
>I leaned into his hand, being pet felt good, comforting  
>Not as nice as cuddling with Moonglow, but still a pleasant sensation   
>He toys with our ears for a moment before stepping back  
“This is just going to be an interview, nothing more”  
>He takes out two small laptops and sets them up on the table in front of us  
>Leaving two pencils on the keyboard, he pulls the table towards us  
>He sits across from us and takes out his own laptop  
“Try to use the pencil to type, can you do that?”  
>I hold the pencil in my mouth and peck out a message  
I T H I N K S O  
>Moonglow also types something  
>”yes” appears on my screen below my message  
“Very good, How about your names. Can you tell me your names?”  
L I G H T N I N G  
>”moonglow”  
>The man frowns slightly  
“Can you tell me your real names? The ones you went by before you became ponies?”  
>I give Moonglow an uncertain look  
>Everything before the lab is a jumbled mess  
>My old name is somewhere in there, but it’s mixed in with all the other names  
>”i cant remember”  
S O R R Y  
“It’s fine, you’ve been through a lot. It will come to you in time”  
>The last bit sounded more like a wish than a statement  
>He continued to inquire about our lives prior to the lab  
>The faces and places all blind together, I can only match names to a few of them  
>All of my memories seem so alien to me, I hadn’t given them much thought before now  
>It’s like I’m watching someone else’s life  
>Disappointed, he redirects his line of question to our life in the lab  
>We remember our time there clearly  
>Too clearly  
>We don’t want to talk about it  
“I understand that these memories are painful, but if we’re going to help you we need to know what was done”  
>”im not ready to talk about it”  
N I T H E R A M I  
>He gives us a sympathetic nod  
“That’s fine, let’s just give it time”  
>The types something into his computer, the closes it and sets it on the table  
“If you’ll follow me, we want to give you a proper physical exam before turning you lose again”  
>He leads us down the hall to another door  
>Even with the door closed the scent of antiseptic is enough to make my stomach churn  
>Panic rips through my body as the door swings open  
>Suddenly I find myself back in the lab  
>The harsh florescent lights and nauseating clinical smell are overwhelming  
>Inside the room sits a large metal operating table, and cabinets stocked with medical equipment  
>I can feel the scalpels and needles  
>My veins burn from the unknown drugs  
>It all comes back to me  
>Every injection  
>Every incision  
>Above all the image of the green mare, drowning in her own blood  
>They can’t do that to Moonglow  
>The Lab tech has his back to us  
>I shoot Moonglow a panicked look  
>His face shows that my message was unnecessary  
>We make a mad dash down the hall back to the door  
“Wait! Come back!”  
>Almost there, a few more feet and we’re free  
>With a lowed thud we slam into the unrelenting door  
>Moonglow tries to turn the handle, but the door appears to be locked  
>I turn back and see the tech coming down the hall at us  
>Several other humans are coming out into the hall  
>On sits at a desk and is franticly making calls  
>They begin to converge on us  
>With nowhere to run we quickly climb under a coffee table and hide  
>The humans quickly surround us  
>I press my head into Moonglow and begin to cry  
>They are going to get Nick, and he’s going to drag us off  
>What will they do to me?  
>What will they do to Moonglow?  
>Suddenly a two pairs of hands grab hold of my legs and drag me out  
>Drag me and Moonglow apart  
>No  
Neigh!  
>No, let him go  
Neigh! Neigh!  
>I struggle as hard as I can against the hands griping my legs  
>Suddenly a third set of hands forces my head to the floor  
“Shh, Shh. It’s ok, we’re not going to hurt you”  
>My body locks up  
>Just stay still  
>Stay still and they won’t hurt us  
>My body is trembling, but my muscles no longer obey my command  
>All I can do is stare at the tech holding my head down  
“There we go, nice and easy”  
>He starts to run his hand down my mane  
>Is this a trick?  
>Are they really going to just forgive an escape attempt?  
>Maybe this is one of their experiments  
“Let’s put these two somewhere they can calm down, will try again when they’re ready”  
>He lifts me up over his shoulder, and supports my weight with is arm  
>I can see a woman doing the same to Moonglow  
>They start to carry us back down the hall  
>”Don’t you think they would be better off outside?”  
“They would probably calm down faster, but I don’t want them going off and hurting themselves”  
>Just hold still and they won’t hurt us  
>He gives my mane a stroke  
“It’s ok little guy, I should have known better. You don’t have to go into the exam room”  
>They take us into a room  
>The walls are painted bright purple and the floor is covered in a thick carpet  
>It’s furnished with a chaise and an arm chair  
>A large window gives a clear view of the outside, a large field  
>In the field I could almost swear I saw ponies milling about  
>Another trick?  
>They lay Moonglow and I down on the Chaise  
“Here, this will help with the shock”  
>He pulls a blanket over us, and then extends his hands down to our heads  
>I Instinctively flinch  
“You’re going to be ok, You’re safe here”  
>He caresses the back of my head  
“I’ll be right back, just wait here. Call if you need anything”  
>With that he turns and steps out of the room, the rest follow after him  
>A moment later I hear movement behind a mirror built into the wall  
>Unnerved, I press my muzzle up against Moonglow’s  
>He’s just as disturbed as I, and we quickly begin to blow on each other  
>I hope they don’t take him away  
>It’s been awhile  
>Moonglow and I have calmed down enough to regain our hold on reality  
>We’re not in the lab any more, we’ve been rescued  
>If this was the lab they’d have us locked in isolation boxes, or Nick would be breaking our legs  
>Or both  
>We definitely would not be laying together under a warm blanket  
>They aren’t going to take Moonglow away  
>Someone has been watching us behind the one-way mirror   
>I can hear them moving around  
>Occasionally I pick up muffled conversation, but they’re never clear enough to make out  
>Suddenly there is a disturbance in the room  
>People stir, the door clicks open  
>Footsteps can be heard moving out of the room and down the hall  
>The door handle of our room slowly begins to turn  
>Man from before slowly sticks his head in and smiles  
“Hey there, have you two calm down now?”  
>He speaks in a slow, gentle voice  
>We nod slowly and stare at his feet  
>He has changed out of his lab coat and into jeans and a bright blue shirt  
“That good. You have nothing to be ashamed of”  
>He sets the laptops on the table and begins to scratch the backs of our heads  
>After a few seconds we look up at him and smile  
“There we go, no judgments here. Our goal is to help you recover, if something makes you uncomfortable just let us know”  
>He pulls his hands away, and steps back  
“Shall we talk?”  
>He gestures at the laptops  
>I nod. it would be nice to talk again  
“Excellent I’ll get these set up”  
>He boots up the laptops and provides us with typing implements  
>The same messenger program is loaded, this time it has names instead of ID numbers  
>Moonglow, Lightning and Dr. Jonson  
I A M S O R R Y I P A N I C E D  
>Dr. Jonson smiles and holds up his hand  
“You have nothing to apologies for, I’m sure there are plenty of reasons you would be afraid of that room”  
>”i was more worried that you would take lightning”  
“Why would you be worried about that?”  
>”in the lab they would separate us”  
>”yesterday was the first time there werent bars between us”  
>”but he was the only physical contact I had”  
>Jonson sits patiently awaiting more, when none came he spoke  
“Is that what you thought, that you were back in the lab?”  
>”yes”  
>He gives us a sympathetic look and nods slowly  
“I know you said you didn’t want to talk about the lab, but any information you can give us will help. Not just to help you, but to help the others as well”  
>Moonglow nods, after a few moments he begins to type  
>”i was alone for a long time. I think it was three months. I couldn’t talk, or write. The cage they kept me in was so small I couldn’t stand without ducking my head. The only times they let us out was if we were being used or punished.”  
>He stops typing and thinks over what he’s saying  
>”they brought lightning in during the night, he woke up screaming like I did. I did what I could to help calm him down. He was just like me when they brought me in. he was cold and scared and confused”  
>Moonglow paused  
>”I knew he was suffering, but on some level I was glad to have a companion, and that made me feel horrible, and it made every time they took him away worse because I always felt like they were punishing him for something I did”  
>Jonson nodded  
“How would they punish you? Again you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to”  
If we made to much noise or struggled when they took us out of our cages they would get Nick.  
“And what would Nick do?”  
Usually he would shock us with a cattle prod, sometimes they let him use a bullwhip or riding crop. They only intervened once, when he broke a mare’s leg for kicking him in the face, they told him not to damage the equipment  
“I see, it’s terrible that you had to go through that. Is there anything else I should know about before we continue?”  
>It’s important  
>Better tell him now that have him find out later  
They  
>He looks at me sympathetically  
“It’s ok, take your time”  
Castrated me  
>He gives me a look of complete and utter commiseration  
“That’s horrible”  
>Moonglow gives me a consoling nuzzle  
“It’s good that you informed me, we can provide you with hormones if you want”  
>A shudder runs down my spine  
>That sounds like it will involve needles  
“It can be patches or skin cream if you’re worried about injection”  
>I nod slowly  
“You’ve been through a lot, all of you. But you can’t let your fear control you. That’s what we’re here for, to help you face your fears and get your lives back together”  
>”thank you”  
>I nod, affirming Moonglow’s message  
“Your perfectly welcome, it’d be nice to know why they did this to you though”  
Morning Glory could answer that  
“Morning Glory? Why would he know?”  
He worked at the lab before he was a pony, he was always so nice to us  
>Dr. Jonson nods  
“Thank you, you’ve been a big help”  
>”Could we hold on to the laptops? I would like to talk with Lightning some more”  
“Yes, that can be arranged. But how about we have another go at that physical, we can do it in here if you prefer”  
>I nod sheepishly  
“Don’t worry, it’s just a quick look over, nothing invasive”  
>He does me first  
>I can’t help but make it more difficult than it needed to be  
>Every time he touched me I flinched, and I consistently tried to pull away from whatever instrument he brought near me  
>Moonglow continued to support me through the process, often nudging me back towards the doctor, and providing a comforting nuzzle every now and then  
>Despite this Moonglow only faired marginally better when it was his turn, and spent the entire time after the eye exam with his clamped firmly shut  
“All right it’s over”  
>The doctor declares, stepping away from Moonglow  
>Moonglow quickly pulls me into a hug  
>Dr. Jonson reaches into his pockets and pulls out two more chocolates  
“And for being such brave little ponies you deserve a little treat”  
>We both take one  
>He gather up the laptops  
“I’ll show you out, these need to be checked out before you can use them though. Ok?”  
>I nod to show I understand  
“alright this way”  
>He leads us down the hall and holds the front door for us

>We are greeted by a lowed neigh from Sunrise as we exit the building  
>She runs to us with the rest of the group not far behind  
>We meet her halfway and nuzzle her  
>After a brief exchange of affection she begins to examine us for singes of abuse  
>Finding none she turns her attention to Jonson, sizing him up  
>He smiles and starts to extend a hand towards her  
“It’s ok, I’m-“  
>She snorts and takes an aggressive stance  
>The man quickly withdraws, holding his hands up defensively  
“Easy, I’m backing away now”  
>He stops several paces away from her  
>It would seem, nice or not, a doctor is still a doctor in her eyes  
>She assumes a more neutral pose but contuse to eye him suspiciously  
“I’m looking for Kyle, I understand he’s been going by Morning Glory?”  
>Morning Glory stepped forward, nickering slightly  
>The Doctor slowly walks towards him and kneels down  
“Hey Kyle, we need to speak with you. We need as much information as possible if we’re going to help everyone here”  
>Morning Glory nods  
“Great, follow me we have a computer for you to type on”  
>They begin to head back into the office  
>Sunrise looks at her charges, and then at Morning Glory and the doctor  
>After a moment of contemplation she looks at us, nickers, and then looks to the barn  
>We nod   
>Sunrise turns and runs to catch up with the Doctor as we make our way back to the barn  
>I give a quick look at the sun  
>It sits just above the horizon, and by my reckoning that gives us two or three hours before curfew  
>That doesn’t matter much right now, today has left me physically and emotionally exhausted  
>A grim fact is that I have received more exercise today than I have in the past six months combined   
>I puff at the dark irony that we have spent months on end locked in boxes and now we head back to our boxes  
>It’s not exactly the same, Moonglow and I share a box now, and we can leave at any time  
>But I find a dark humor in it all the same  
>We nuzzle Hazel and Pearl farewell for the evening and head into our stall  
>Thankfully Straightedge was still off… where ever she went to after she got kicked out of the herd  
>Honestly I don’t care, now is not the time for being angry at the past  
>We’re free, at least as far as I’m concerned  
>Free to be together, and that’s all that really matters now  
>I turn to Moonglow and press my nose against his and gently blow through my nose  
>He reciprocates, and we stand their sharing breath and gazing into each other’s eyes  
>It was a familiar ritual, but I’m taken back to the first night together back when my nightmare began  
>That was when I first glimpse his deep blue eyes  
>They were full of sadness and fear back then, jaded from the monotony of the kennel and tormented by the callous and often abusive treatment of our captors  
>That pain is still there, it has only been a day since we were rescued, but now there is a glimmer of happiness along with his compassion  
>I love him, through all the pain and suffering, all the cruel, seemingly pointless experiments, he served as a light at the end of the tunnel, someone to cling to as they tormented us.  
>I purse my lips and press them against his  
>He tilts his head slightly and presses his tongue into my mouth  
>I close my eyes and follow suit, letting him guide my tongue around his mouth  
>After a few heart felt moments I pull away  
>He is confused by my sudden withdrawal as I turn my back to him  
>An inviting look and a quick flick of my tail quickly dispel and uncertainty  
>After all that time in a cage he must be pent up  
>He nickers softly to me as he mounts, wrapping his forelegs around my body  
>He nuzzles my mane and lets out a hot breath onto the back of my mane  
>The flared tip of his member slowly presses through my anus   
>To my surprise my ponut is rather elastic and takes the shaft with little difficulty  
>Moonglow is still gentle with me and takes care to ease his way in  
>About half way up his cock he readjusts himself, trying for a better angle  
>He’s able to get a little further in, but not much  
>Content with this he slowly begins to back out until his flare is the only thing in  
>I can feel the warm pre-cum emanating from his dick as he pushes the rod back into me  
>He reaches the extent of his travel and once again backs out, slightly faster this time  
>The next thrust approaches his full force, my ass is accustomed to his girth and the pre he has been leaking does a good job reducing friction  
>Our breaths have grown shallow and rapid, I give some thought to us being discovered but this is quickly dispelled as Moonglow thrust once more into me  
>He has built up to his full speed, no longer hesitating after each thrust  
>Without thinking I let out something half way between a whinny and a moan as my lover pounds my ass  
>Moonglow gives one final thrust pressing deep inside me  
>His flare expands inside of me as he dumps his load  
>We both let out a moan of pleasure and begin to slump over onto the floor  
>Moonglow pulls himself out of me and rolls both of us onto our side  
>He shifts his hold on me up to my chest before nuzzling the side of my face  
>We snuggle up together with him still holding me  
>The warmth of his body and the softness of his fur, this is what has been held just out of my reach for so long  
>It’s so comforting, at long last our nightmare is over  
>No one’s going to take him away from me  
>With that in mind I close my eyes and drift off to sleep

>I get the feeling of being dragged slowly  
>As I try to see the cause I am suddenly tugged and thrown into a bag  
>I hear Moonglow call out and I reply  
>This earns me a smack a cross the ground  
>I remain quite as I try to keep from having a panic attack  
>I fail, my mind is racing with unpleasant possibilities as my captors rush me to my fate  
>I can’t go back to the lab, not again.  
>Suddenly I’m dumped out straight into my worst fear  
>My flank lands hard on a metal operating table surrounded by men in lab coats  
>Before I can make a move they hold me down and strap restraints on me  
>They make way to give me a clear view of what has become of Moonglow  
>He’s locked in one of the quarantine boxes, with an I.V. inserted into his neck  
>The tube is empty at the moment, as is the reservoir  
>A doctor grins sadistically and holds up a vial in front of me  
>It’s the virus they infected Sunrise’s friend with  
“You are immune of course. Your friend on the other hand…”  
>I let out a pleading squeal as he moves to fill the reservoir with the concoction  
>They snicker at me as I begin to cry  
>After a few seconds I notice that the fluid is not flowing down the tube  
“Whether your friend survives is up to you” He says as he slides a small box in front of me  
>I recognize it immediately as the pattern memorization test  
>Only this time it’s Moonglows life on the line  
“Let’s begin”  
>The box lights up and the colorful buttons flash in sequence   
>I quickly press them in the order shown and a new sequence is played  
>Red, green, green, blue  
>I repeat it back  
>Yellow, blue, Red, Yellow  
>It goes on  
>Hours pass  
>Suddenly a massive sequence is played  
>I lost track of how many flashes  
>It ends leaving me totally bewildered  
>None the less I must repeat it back  
>I press the red button with my nose  
>My heart sinks as a buzzer sounds  
>The fluid begins to run down the tube directly into Moonglow’s bloodstream  
>They grab my head and pull my eyes open  
“You failed, now watch what you’ve done to your friend”  
>Through tear stained eyes I watch at Moonglow begins to writhe in pain  
>He begins to cough, then blood begins to drip out of his mouth  
>He convulses violently as even more blood begins to leave his body  
>I struggle against my bindings  
>I need to be with him, to comfort him  
“Remember, this is your fault. You are the reason this is happening to him”  
>I choke back a sob and neigh loudly   
>Moonglow looks at me sadly and presses a hoof against the glass  
>He neighs back, weakly  
>The scientists laugh and jeer at me  
>They mock me for my failure  
>Finally one of them flicks a switch and Moonglow’s container is filled with gas  
>I neigh and squeal franticly as I struggle against my bindings  
>It was my fault, it should be happening to me not him  
>Give him the vaccine and put me in the chamber  
>I neigh as loud as I can  
>Suddenly something clamps down on my ear   
>The mild pain draws me back to reality  
>My eyes fly open to the sight of the stall  
>As I turn my head slightly I see Moonglow letting go of my ear  
>It was a dream  
>Only a dream…  
>The tears are still real though  
>I press my head into Moonglow and cry  
>He nuzzles me gently and quietly nickers into my ear  
>After I calm down enough I press my nose against him and blow  
>He blows back, and we begin to share our breath  
>I look into his eyes and tilt my head, planting a kiss on his lips  
>He kisses me back and rubs his cheek against mine  
>We rest our heads on each other’s shoulders and drift back to sleep

>Be Morning Glory, formally known as Kyle  
>I say formally but it seems they have figured out who I really am  
>Based on the chain of events it was either Moonglow or Lightning  
>Well enough, While I may have been misled I have still done horrible things  
>I’ve hurt many ponies, and been complacent in so much more  
>I will not hide from justice, and I will do whatever it takes to help the others  
>Sunrise follows beside me  
>She has many reasons for doing so  
>She’s one of the oldest ponies, both in terms of her time as a pony and her biological age  
>She was a mother of two in her early forties when she was abducted two years ago  
>Dr. Phisher gave the hunters hell for it  
>Too old, too many connections  
>A college student disappears they look around for a bit, then write them off as a suicide or something  
>A single mother, with a kid about to graduate disappears the night of their graduation and you get a full scale manhunt  
>Still, she managed to survive two whole years in the kennel  
>We come to what looks like a conference room  
>The doctor takes a seat and pulls out three notebook laptops  
>Sunrise and I sit across from him  
>After typing on two of the laptops he passes one to each of us, keeping the third one for himself  
>”Alright Kyle, unless there is anything we should urgently know I would like you to start at the beginning, and explain what happened in the lab”  
>I nod and begin to type  
>[I started working for the lab two years ago, Dr. Phisher had recruited me right after I had gotten my master’s degree]  
>[The program was just getting started, they only had a few ponies]  
>”And how did they make the ponies exactly”  
>I explain the technical details of how the virus works, he remains expressionless throughout my description  
>When I finish he asks “So there is no way to turn them back?”  
>I shake my head  
>[not at the moment no, the virus rearranges DNA in a specific order, but it also removes parts of their DNA and replaces it with new strands. Undoing the restructuring without removing the Pony DNA and adding human DNA would be catastrophic.]  
>He nods “continue”  
>[I should have known something was wrong when I met Nick. He was the handler for the ponies]  
>”And what was wrong with Nick?”  
>[he was abusive, he seemed to enjoy hurting the ponies. Apparently he was working there because Dr. Phisher paid off is debs for him, but I don’t know much about that]  
>The doctor nods  
>[Most of what we tested where less exotic gene therapies and drugs. We had everything all kinds of drugs]  
>I run down a laundry list of everything we tested  
>We had drugs that could make you heal faster, stay awake longer  
>Sunrise flinched when I got to the drug designed to treat burn victims  
>I remember she had been part of that experiment  
>And I had helped administer it  
>I took her from her cage and carried her to the room  
>Dr. Drake was waiting for me, he had the iron red hot already  
>I strapped her down  
>”Alright Kyle, Just hold the iron against her side for five seconds, then apply the balm”  
>I nod and lift the iron with a gloved hand  
>even through the insulation I could feel the heat of the metal as it singed the hair on my knuckles  
>Sunrise began to squirm, knowing full well what was about to happen  
>I pressed the iron against her flesh  
>I heard a loud hiss as the room filled with the smell of burnt fur  
>She shook violently in a desperate attempt to get away  
>Unable to move because of the restraints, unable to scream because of the muzzle  
>I held the iron for five seconds as instructed, then pulled it away  
>Tears where running down her face as she gasped for air  
>Swapped my insulated gloves for rubber ones and rubbed the ointment across the burnt flesh  
>After several hours her pain began to subside  
>We left her strapped to the table over night  
>The next day she was healed and I retuned her to her cage with nothing more than a few words of encouragement and a handful of apple slices  
>As I continue I am reminded of what I have done to all of these ponies  
>What I have done to my new herd  
>The week Lightning spent infested with liver flukes  
>That time we almost ran Moonglow to death to test a muscle therapy  
>The time I blinded Pearl in her right eye  
>How I gave Hazel a seizure testing a drug to improve reflexes   
>The time I euthanized Ivory, Sunrises first companion, because she had liver failure  
>Once I finish the list of the drugs we had made I listed all of this, as well as all the other procedures I had taken part in  
>The Doctors face is unreadable  
>”Who headed this operation”  
>[the highest up I know of was Dr. Phisher, he never told us where the funding came from]  
>”Are you the one who informed us about this operation?”  
>Yes, I explain how I leaked information to them  
>Most of it was generality, along with what I could gather to prove that this wasn’t some hoax  
>It’s my only real claim to redemption at this point  
>When it comes down to it a few treats and kind words are nothing compared to the damage I did  
>I stop typing and the doctor sits there, staring at me  
>I get the feeling that I’m being judged, in a legal sense   
>There is no precedent for this kind of thing  
>I doubt they would send me to prison, or execute me  
>But they could lock me up here  
>I suppose after all I’ve done that would be getting off light  
>finally he speaks 

>Be Lightning  
>The sound of boots fast approaching wake me up  
>I can see the dim orange glow of morning through the door  
>Absolute terror takes hold of me as a group of uniformed men come into the room  
>I quickly sweep myself and a half awake Moonglow into the corner  
>They seem to ignore us and head straight for Straightedge   
>She must have slipped in while we were sleeping  
>They lift the sleeping mare over their shoulder  
>Of course she doesn’t stay sleeping for long  
>When she sees Moonglow and I cowering in the corner she begins to panic  
>”Shh, nice and easy Nick. Nice and easy”  
>Straightedge stops struggling but stares over the man’s shoulder  
>There’s a distinct fear in her eyes  
>It’s not the fear of the unknown, it’s the fear that she may be very well acquainted with what happens next  
>Earlier I had though she deserved to suffer for what she had done, but seeing her like this changed something in me  
>No matter what she has done, no one deserves what happened to us  
>The men quickly whisk her away, with one lingering with us for a moment  
”It’s ok you two, your friend’s just going away for a little while. We’re here to help”  
>He attempts to give me a pat on the head, but stops when I pull away  
“Right, I guess you’re not used to the security guards being the good guys. But we are the good guys”  
>With that he walks out, leaving Moonglow and I in the corner  
>That entire affair was too close to what happened back at the lab  
>After a moment we realized Morning Glory isn’t in here  
>No sign of him anywhere, it doesn’t look like he came back last night  
>Moonglow and I are still shaken from our rude awakening   
>I drape a wing over his shoulder and draw him close  
>His warm bulk   
>Together we step out of our room  
>The men have already absconded with Straightedge   
>In the distance I hear the sound of the door to the second building closing  
>I can also hear the sound of car doors shutting as people arrive for the day  
>The doctor from yesterday escorts Sunrise into the barn before heading back to the building  
>Sunrise looks at us  
>She seems tired like she’s been up all night  
>None the less she nickers a greeting at us  
>Moonglow gives a concerned neigh and points back at our room, then to the main door  
>Sunrise nods and gives a reassuring huff  
>She points in the direction of the other building and nods  
>A quizzical look over takes her as she tries to find a way to communicate what’s going on  
>Ultimately she shrugs and smiles, patting us each on the shoulder  
>Moonglow and I exchange nods  
>If Sunrise is ok with the situation it’s probably fine  
>The doctors probably just wanted to talk with the two of them  
>Sunrise lets out a yawn and gestures that we head to her room  
>Her room is just like all the other’s, a modified stall with beds  
>Pearl and Hazel are both snuggled up against each other  
>They stir slightly as we come in, Sunrise nuzzles them gently before joining the huddle  
>Neither of us could really sleep at this point so we head back out to give the mare some peace  
>I see some people setting up a row of tables  
>Maybe they can tell us what’s happening with Straightedge  
>One of them greets me as I approach  
“Morning you two, ready for a hot breakfast?”  
“Neigh”  
>The chuckle  
“It’s going to be biscuits and gravy, how’s that sound? Gotta be better than eating grass right?”  
“Neigh?”  
>I point back to our room  
“Yeah there will still be food their if you want. But doesn’t some biscuits and gravy sound better?”  
>This guy has no idea what I’m on about, does he?  
“Neigh”  
>I point out to the other building  
“We’ll let you out after breakfast, if you go over there you can be the first in line”  
>I let out a small huff of disappointment and stand where he pointed me  
>I’m probably not going to get anything out of them  
>A few moments later they bring out the food  
>The guy I talked to earlier come over to us  
“here, you can taste test this”  
>He slips us both half of a biscuit  
>The bread is soft and buttery  
>It’s outer layer has a little bit of crunch with the inner lay being soft and light  
>I close my eyes as it all just melts in my mouth  
>As it dissolves I realize that he’s petting my mane  
>I shoot him an agitated look  
“Sorry, I guess I should have asked. Your friend seems to be enjoying himself though”  
>I shoot Moonglow a betrayed look  
>He just grins and presses his head into the man’s hand  
>The man gives him a couple of pats on the head  
“Well I need to get back to work, breakfast will be in a few minutes”  
>With that he turns and heads back to the food line  
>Other ponies begin to join us in line  
>We pass through, receiving a tray of two biscuits and gravy with a side of fresh fruit and vegetables  
>We sit together and eat our breakfast off of a table  
>The first time such a gesture has been made  
>I wonder what we happen to us  
>If we turn back I guess we’ll move on with our lives  
>Moonglow and I could stay in touch, and I could probably get financial aid to help with my schooling  
>These past couple of days have actually been kind of nice  
>It would be nice to talk, but being a pony has actually been pretty great now that I’m not being used for lab experiments  
>There is the very real possibility that they can’t turn us back  
>In spite of Kyles rhetoric about changing us back when we’re done I don’t think they had an antidote  
>So what would they do with us?  
>They may be able to track down our families  
>Having their family member back as a small horse would be better than not at all  
>I guess Moonglow and I could have a long distance relationship, or work out a system where we bounce back and forth between our families  
>and if they can’t find our families?  
>Would we stay here forever? Would they release us into the wild?  
>Surly not  
>We aren’t wild animals, I don’t think we could survive such an ordeal  
>If we were animals I’m pretty sure they would have us euthanized  
>I shiver at the thought  
>No they recognize that we are people  
>They wouldn’t have gone to all this trouble if they were just going to kill us   
>I start to think about the man petting us…  
>Demeaning though it was, it did feel good  
>What if we end up as pets  
>In this form, without a family, I can’t think of any other alternative to just staying here  
>…  
>it’s not a comforting thought  
>none the less all those options are infinitely preferable to going back to the lab  
>I’ve hardly touched my food, and I look over at Moonglow  
>He’s happily munching away at the last of his fruit without a care in the world  
>I suppose I should just put it from my mind, whatever happens to us, I’ll be happy so long as I have him with me  
>Hazel and Pearl join us  
>Sunrise is probably still recuperating in her room  
>I guess that means we’re on our own for now  
>The breakfast was great, I never thought I’d eat human food again  
>Hazel and Pearl being to move us toward the art area  
>Even without Sunrise, we’re still herd, we stick together   
>Apparently they have paint setup for us to use  
>Pearl and Hazel seem rather happy about this  
>Of course there is only one subject matter I really want to bother with  
>Some time later I have a painting of Moonglow finished  
>Or a dark blue amoeba…  
>I wasn’t particularly skilled when I had hands  
>Now that I’m stuck using my mouth I’m lucky that you can sort of tell it’s a horse  
>Moonglow smiles at it and shows me his painting  
>I do believe it’s his attempt at an artistic depiction of last night  
>I’d be embarrassed, but it took me a moment to understand that we weren’t just cuddling  
>Or that we’re weren’t single celled organisms   
>Pearl actually has a pretty good likeness of Hazel going on  
>Using nothing but her mouth she’s been able to render her friends light brown mane in considerable detail   
>Hazel herself seems to have given up in favor of watching her friend  
>Just then we all notice something  
>A picture of a paint brush on Pearls flank  
>That’s new  
>Pearl lets out a happy neigh and begins to prance in place  
>Hazel and her exchange kisses and admire her new mark  
>An interesting development, none the less I’m happy for her  
>Once Pearl calms back down she puts the finishing touches on her portrait  
>at about that same time Sunrise comes in to join us from her nap

>We quickly gathered around her, with Pearl eagerly showing her the new addition to her flank  
>Sunrise smiled and nodded gesturing over to the paint  
>Pearl quickly dashed back over to her portrait  
>She picked up the brush and swiped it back and forth to emulate painting, then touched her hoof to her flank and made the best approximation of the sound as she drew her hoof away  
>Sunrise seemed puzzled by this and gestured to the paint, then back at Pearls mark  
>We all shake our heads  
>Moonglow jumps in and gestured to the mark, then rears up on his hindlegs and draws his fore hooves out as he emulates the sound  
>At the same time a small flash of light emanates from his horn  
>He makes a startled squawk and falls backward onto his hunches  
>I quickly rush to his side and find him starring up at his horn, aw struck but uninjured  
>The others gathered round him, staring expectantly at his horn  
>He tentatively prods it with his hoof, as though expecting it to explode, or shoot lasers, or both  
>After a few moments it becomes clear that it will not do anything on its own  
>Moonglow frowns and closes his eyes  
>The entire room goes quiet as the other ponies gather round to watch his performance  
>Several minutes pass before Moonglows horn starts to give of a faint shimmer  
>It slowly grows in intensity for several seconds before He opens his eyes to look at it  
>He smiles upon seeing the light blue light, clearly pleased with whatever form of sorcery he has managed  
>The crowd shifts its attention from his horn to his flank  
>Much to everyone’s surprise nothing happened  
>Moon and I frowned slightly as the crowd began to disperse  
>Sunrise gave him an encouraging nuzzle before turning back to Pearl and giving her a hug  
>I don’t think anyone knows what the mark means, but we all grasp that it’s important for something  
>I furrow my brow as I try to recall seeing anything like it in the kennels   
>Failing to recall anything I turn to Sunrise, she would probably know  
>I bray to get her attention and then point at Pearls mark  
>She nods and waits for the second part of the question  
>Unable to think of any way to act out the lab, I quickly draw a cage on my canvas  
>Sunrise bobs her head in comprehension as she puts on a thinking face  
>After a second she shakes her head and lets out a snort, she never saw this happen in the kennel  
>Hazel brays at her, and quickly draws a crude yellow pony  
>Sunrise nods and moves for us to follow  
>She leads us out of the barn and over to the other building  
>This place still sets me on edge  
>I know they wouldn’t hurt me here, but if I never see lab equipment again it would be too soon  
>Lacking hands to pull the door open, Sunrise simply points at it  
>Apparently Straightedge and Morning Glory have been taken in there for some reason  
>”Are you looking for your friends?”  
>The sudden voice was enough to make us all jump  
>I wheel around to see the nice doctor from yesterday  
>”Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you” he says with a smile  
>Nice or not, I still have enough leftover anxiety about doctors to keep my distance  
>He kneels down and slowly reaches out to me  
>”It’s okay Lightning, I’m not going to hurt you”  
>I slowly step forward, taking a quick sniff at his hand  
>It smells disturbingly like disinfectant, but I did my best to retain my composure  
>I don’t want to spook Pearl or Hazel more than they already are  
>”There we go, you remember me”  
>He gently pats my nose  
>The gesture is oddly calming, certainly not the kind of treatment I got in the lab  
>”I’ve been working on your request, we’re going to set up some laptops in the common area for you to use. You think that would work?”  
>I stand there for a moment before realizing he actually expects a response  
>I nod and let out a happy whicker   
>”Great, now you want to see your friend right?”  
>We all nod collectively as he holds the door for us  
>Pearl and Hazel are the last through, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of going into another lab  
>Sunrise gives them a confident smile and moves that they follow  
>The doctor leads us down the hall turning into a room

>Morning Glory turns towards us as we file into the room  
>He gives us a reserved smile and moves to the front end of his cage  
>Straightedge continues to lay on her bedding, faced away from the door  
>They both have their own makeshift cell, constructed from chain link  
>They’re large enough to give their occupants room to move around, and stocked with food and water  
>Sunrise steps forward and nuzzles Morning through the bars  
>He responds with a grateful nicker as he nuzzles her back  
>The rest of us follow suit, happy to see our friend  
>As the others gave him affection I took the opportunity to pump the doctor for information  
>I turn to him and give a quizzical nicker, and gesture to the cages  
>”Is that a ‘Why are these two in a cage?”  
>I nod  
>He nods thoughtfully  
>”Well, I suppose there is no harm in you knowing: We found out they were involved, we don’t want them running off and we don’t want any of the others to take revenge on them.”  
>”We are going to try to get information out of them, Kyle has already agreed to help. Nick will be offered a plea bargain once the DA gets here”  
>He pauses to think  
>”Yeah… that just about sums it up. Don’t worry too much, I doubt they would put Kyle on trial in his state”  
>He checks his watch  
>”I’m afraid I have patents to attend to, I trust you can show yourselves out when you are done.”  
>Sunrise nods and whickers a thank you at him as he steps back out into the hallway  
>I turn back and take my turn at nuzzling Morning Glory  
>I wicker at him, prodding the lock with my hoof  
>He smiles at me and shakes his head, tapping the floor beneath him  
>The smile fades into a more mournful expression  
>He feel that he belongs in there  
>There’s a long silence after that  
>Even with what he did for us, he still helped them conduct the experiments  
>He was a cog in their machine just as much as Nick was  
>I don’t know what he did to get us rescued, but maybe he could have done it sooner  
>The others must be thinking the same thing  
>Still, he showed us compassion when no one else would, and in the end he did get us out  
>That counts for something…  
>He nickers, breaking the silence  
>All our eyes turn to him as he flicks his head to the door  
>Sunrise nods to him before turning and heading back out  
>We all follow behind her as she leads us back down the hallway  
>the receptionist holds the door for us and we step out of the cold air-conditioned building and into the warm sunlight

>Sunrise turns away from the buildings, towards the center of the ranch  
>She takes a few steps forward, then suddenly crouches down, her head turned back over her shoulder showing us a playful expression  
>Just as suddenly she neighs and takes off galloping  
>Moonglow and I exchange grins and take off after her, Hazel and Pearl straight ahead of us  
>I never ran this fast in my life, I can feel my heart pounding in my chest  
>My nostrils flare as I draw in breath after breath  
>The entire experience is intoxicating, something about it just feels right  
>The herd, the field, the wind through my mane  
>It’s not human, but right  
>Certainly more right than a cold steel cage  
>Even once my muscles start ache I don’t want to stop, running as a herd just feels so good  
>I leap into the air as we pass over a hill my wings unfurling instinctively  
>The air over them feels great, I start to flap them as fast as I can  
>For a moment I’m actually flying   
>Then the ground starts to come up to meet me  
>I slam into the dirt, flipping over once before skidding to a halt  
>The herd rushes over to me as I pull myself up, a few scrapes and bruises but nothing is broken  
>I’ve certainly had worse  
>The herd quickly surrounds me, checking that I am fine  
>I nicker a confirmation as a glance back at my wings  
>The feathers are still cut off at about half their regular length  
>If I understand how birds work I probably won’t get them back until I molt  
>Whenever that happens  
>Moonglow nuzzles me, flashing a grin  
>I wicker  
>He’s right  
>All things considered it’s amazing we can even walk, much less run after only a few days of being free of our cages  
>Flying will come in time  
>For now though we should probably head back and see about getting these scrapes cleaned out  
>I’d hate to have to go to a hospital 

>Before we can even get to the barn one of the workers intercepts us  
>”Is your friend okay” they ask with clear concern  
>Sunrise gives a concerned nicker and gestures to a particularly nasty cut  
>The man kneels down and slowly moves towards me with an out stretched hand  
>”Alright, nice and easy, I’m here to help”  
>My ears fold themselves against my neck as I pull my head back from him  
>I shudder as his hand touches my neck  
>”easy, easy girl. I’m just her to help”  
>Girl?  
>I turn back at him, head cocked to the side  
>Did he really thing I was a girl?  
>He chuckles nervously  
>”Sorry, I’m used to working with regular horses. I should get out of the habit of calling mares “girl”, would miss work better?”  
>I blink  
>This guy actually thinks I’m a mare  
>Hehehe, that’s ridiculous!  
>”I’ll take that as a yes then, is it okay if I check you miss?”  
>I manage to control my laughter to nod at him  
>He works quickly and methodically, applying spray and balm out of a first aid kit he carries around  
>”Well that should do it, I’ll let the other staff know you need to be checked on. For now you should get some rest, there should be food and water in your stall”  
>I nod and follow after Sunrise as she leads us back to the barn  
>Moonglow and I head of to our stall, now empty with Straightedge and Morning off in lockup  
>We help ourselves to a tough of mixed fruit and veggies before cuddling up for bed

>Be Moonglow  
>I slowly start to stir as light pours in from out side  
>There’s a soft snort as the grey Pegasus I’m cuddling presses his head into my chest  
>His body shifting as he readjusts himself into a more comfortable position, a wing draping over me like a blanket  
>I look down at his bright blue mane, pressed against my dark blue coat, like a lightning bolt at night  
>I can feel his warm breath against my chest as he settles back down  
>Damn he looks so cute like this, and every bit as huggable as I thought he would be  
>My hoof trails down his side, feeling the soft fur and more of his ribs than I should be able to  
>It doesn’t matter, the lab is in the past now, we have our future together to look forward to  
>I push my muzzle into his mane and nuzzle him, after a moment he starts to look up at me, A soft smile spreading across his face  
>We press our noses together and look into each other’s eyes, our breaths slowly synchronizing  
>His dark grey eyes, I remember when I first saw them, so full of fear  
>After a few days the fear faded into despair, a small flicker of affection keeping him going  
>Now they’re shining nice and bright, full of hope  
>I feel a warm drop trickle down the side of my face  
>Lightning has also started to cry, we slowly tilt our heads in opposite directions, closing our eyes and pressing our lips together

>Be Lightning  
>Tears continue to stream down my face as Moonglow and I lock lips  
>I wrap my legs around him in an embrace as we pull each other as close as possible  
>Our hooves start to drift over each other’s bodies, gently exploring ourselves  
>Burn marks and scars mar his soft fur, like the carnage after a battle  
>I drift down to the large scar that runs down his belly, beneath it I can feel the hard, alien presents of his device  
>His hoof finds its way to my own scar, and I can feel that infernal machine shift inside me  
>I break the kiss and bury my face in his shoulder  
>He pats my back with his hoof as he nuzzles me, calmly blowing into my mane  
>We hold like this for a long while  
>The lab took so much from us, but we never would have met if not for them   
>Eventually I stifle my tears, pulling my head back to look at him  
>A wide grin spreads across my face  
>Even after all I’ve lost, I can’t help but feel Moonglow makes up for it some how  
>We’ve been through hell together and I love him more than anything  
>A sparkle in his eye tells me he’s thinking the exact same thing  
>As much as I would love to lay like this all day, my stomach makes its need known  
>I lean in and give him a peck, lingering for a moment as I gaze into his eyes  
>I pull away tentatively, slowly picking myself up  
>He stands as well, never more than a few inches away from me  
>By the time we’re on our hooves Moonglow and I are pressed shoulder to shoulder, the sides of our heads rubbing against each other  
>We exit our stall together and head off to the breakfast line

>Breakfast was different today  
>Instead of walking through a line at our leisure the helpers actively herded us together into our herds  
>Some were going around rousing others from their sleep as others moved about with a cart placing pre made plates of food in front of us  
>The entire affair set us all on edge  
>Even if we were with our herd the thought of being rounded up was more than a little anxiety inducing   
>Sunrise sits stoically with Pearl and Hazel nuzzling each other for comfort  
>The entire group is tense, if someone made a loud noise we may all spring into a stamped  
>After a few long minutes Maria steps onto a podium holding a piece of paper   
>She clears her throat and begins to speak in a very soothing tone  
>”Good morning little ponies, I hope you’ve all had a good rest. I would like to apologize for waking some of you up, I’m sure it has caused you all an understandable amount of stress.  
“Let me reassure you that we are here to help, nothing bad is about to happen. I have a short announcement and then you will be free to go about your day”  
>She glances at the paper  
“It has come to our attention that most if not all of you where fitted with a medical implant shortly after your arrival at the lab. These implants could prove invaluable to finding who did this to you and possibly reversing it.”  
“We are asking anyone willing to volunteer for medical exams in an effort to find out more about these devices. The exams will include a physical exam followed by a CAT scan. If any of you are interested, please come to me or any of the helper staff. Computers have been set up in the recreation room so you can talk about it among yourselves”  
>She reshuffles her papers and quickly glances over them again  
“That is all, thank you for your time and enjoy your breakfast”  
>She calmly walks away leaving us to our meal

>I quickly redirect my attention to the plate in front of me  
>It’s a full-on Country breakfast, complete with eggs, grits, biscuits, and pancakes, all of it covered in a liberal amount of gravy  
>They’re trying to fatten us up, or more likely get some meat on our emaciated bodies  
>Either way I’m all for biscuits and gravy   
>Moonglow snorts happily as he eagerly devours his helping   
>I promptly stick my muzzle into the pile and begin to eat  
>Fuck these biscuits are good, everything is good  
>Food is good  
>I guess that’s what being fed pellets every day for months does to you  
>Sadly the biscuits come to an end and I’m left licking up the last traces of gravy from my plate  
>With food out of the way we turn our attention back to Sunrise   
>She’s calmly finishing the last of her meal, apparently unsurprised by the announcement   
>Maybe this was discussed the other day with Morning Glory  
>Either way she ignores our inquiring huffs and nickers until she finishes her meal  
>Once she’s done she draws herself up and jerks her head towards the rec room  
>Maybe well get some answers as to what her and Morning talked about

>I follow The rest of the herd into the rec room  
>Sunrise leads us to a set of computers sitting on a low table  
>I take a seat next to Moonglow and pick up a stylus with my mouth  
>It takes everyone a moment to fill out the log in prompt and connect to the chat service  
>As everyone is getting situated I take a moment to check for an internet connection  
>Apparently they’ve blocked it off, I guess they don’t want us posting about this on 4chan  
[Sunrise] “I would like you all to volunteer for the test”  
>My ears fold themselves flat against my neck at the thought  
>These people where different, but the thought of going under the knife again was more than I could bear   
>Just being in that exam room was enough to trigger a breakdown, the sight of a scalpel may just give me a heart attack  
[Sunrise] “I know we have all had bad experiences with surgery, some of us more than others…”  
>She nods at me and Pearl  
[Sunrise] “But these people aren’t like the ones at the lab, they want to help us.”  
[Pearl] “Are we sure of that?”  
[Pearl] “Maybe this is all some kind of trick, or maybe some kind of test”  
[Sunrise] “I don’t believe that”  
[Sunrise] “Not after talking with Morning Glory”  
[Moonglow] “What happened to him? They took Straightedge just before they let you out, but why are they holding him?”  
[Sunrise] “They are holding him for taking part in the lab, He did what he could to help us but he still participated in the experiments”  
[Hazel] “But didn’t he tell them where we were? That has to count for something?”   
>Sunrise nods  
[Sunrise] “he did, and they were going to let him stay with us, but he asked to be kept with Straightedge”  
>I begin to type  
“What about Straightedge?”  
[Sunrise] “What do you mean?”  
>I take a moment to consider my question  
“Why did you let her join the group to begin with?”  
>Sunrise nods thoughtfully  
[Sunrise] “Nick used to be nice, and because of that I think she’s worth saving”  
>The entire herd looks at her like she’s gone off her rocker  
>Saying Nick is kind is like saying water is dry  
[Sunrise] “I know none of you where around for that time. Hell I’m probably the only one left that remembers how he used to be, but trust me he wasn’t always an asshole”  
[Sunrise] “there was a time I thought he would be the one to save us, but working there”  
>She lets out a mournful sigh  
[Sunrise] “It slowly ate at him. I’m hoping him becoming a pony has snapped him out of that, and maybe I can put him back together”  
>Sunrise has a perturbed expression  
[Sunrise] “He’s also the one who captured me, and that makes him my best chance of seeing my family again”  
>Her family…  
>I think back on what little I can remember of my family  
>a few names and faces, but nothing to link the two together  
>For all I know they were just people I knew  
“How much to you remember about your family?”  
>Sunrise is still for a moment  
[Sunrise] “I remember that I was a mother with two children, a boy and a girl. I was very proud of both of them, and loved them very much.”  
>She sniffs to hold back a tear  
[Sunrise] “Then there was Sea Foam, she was like a daughter to me…”  
>Sunrise lowers her head and begins sobbing  
>The we all leave our stations to comfort her  
>Pearl and I drape our wings over her back and Moonglow and Hazel nuzzle her  
>They took so much from her…from us  
>But we have each other now

>We draw tighter forming a close knit pile of weeping horses  
>They took a part of Sunrise in that lab, it may not have been as literal as the part they took from me, but it hurt her even worse  
>I watched her die, the image will never leave me  
>I can’t bear to think of it being Moonglow in that box, but for Sunrise it was  
>I lean in and nuzzle her  
>She looks up and gives me a smile, sniffling back tears  
>After a moment the hug starts to break up  
>Sunrise gives me a kiss on the cheek and gently prods me towards my console  
[Moonglow] I will do it, I’d like to do what I can to help you  
>Sunrise smiles and nods  
[Sunrise] Thank you so much, you have no idea how much that means to me  
[Hazle] I Don’t want to do this, I’m sorry I just  
>Hazel shakes her head, clearly unsettled  
[Sunrise] I understand; I won’t force you to do this. If you are willing to talk about what happened to you I will listen  
>Hazel shakes her head violently  
[Hazle] I don’t even want to think about it  
>There is a pause  
[Lightning] I would like to talk about something  
>The entire group turns to me


End file.
